Bacon Buffalo Chicken Casserole (Paleo, Whole30)

One of my goals this year? More casseroles. Seems fitting to kick off that endeavor with this simple, mouthwatering Buffalo Chicken Bacon Casserole!

With a homemade buffalo sauce, spaghetti squash, and bacon, this hearty casserole is gluten free, paleo, and Whole30. It keeps well in the fridge, making it a perfect meal prep companion. But, more importantly, it’s packed with flavor that’ll leave you dreaming of tomorrow’s lunch.

How to make spaghetti squash casseroles

The largest portion of prep for this casserole goes to pre-cooking the spaghetti squash.

Everyone has their favoite way of doing this. There’s no right answer here!

You could pierce the spaghetti squash with a fork, leaving it otherwise intact and baking it whole.

Or you could cook the spaghetti squash in the slow cooker.

Finally, you can use the instructions I’ve included, cutting the squash in half and seeding it before baking it.

We all have our preferred methods. So roll with whichever one you like best. The point is, you need to cook the spaghetti squash before making the casserole.

The next key to spaghetti squash casseroles hides in the sauce. It’s eggs!

Now, there’s a delicate balance here. Eggs are necessary to thicken the sauce a bit and whole the casserole together after it’s cooked. But you don’t want so many eggs that you can taste it in the end. After all, this isn’t an egg bake!

For my spaghetti squash casseroles, I almost always find that one to two eggs will do. The finished casserole holds its shape, but doesn’t end up eggy. Perfection.

How to prep shredded chicken for casseroles

Oftentimes, you’ll just use leftover shredded chicken for casserole and soup recipes.

But what happens when you want to make a super delicious-sounding casserole like this buffalo chicken bacon casserole and you only have raw chicken breasts on hand?

I’ve got two solutions for you.

As the recipe instructs, you can poach the chicen breasts. This is easy, makes perfectly shreddable (plus tender) chicken, and you can accomplish it while you bake the spaghetti squash.

Worth noting, however, that 96.7% of the time, I poach my chicken breasts. Once you do it a couple times, you tend to have that shit memorized so you can poach some breasts on the fly and feel like a total kitchen badass doing it.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 45 minutes or until squash is tender. Use a fork to separate out the spaghetti squash strands from the peel. Let cool enough to handle. Measure out 4 cups for the recipe, and reserve the rest for whatever else your heart desires!

Add the spaghetti squash, bacon, and chicken to a large bowl, stirring to combine.

Pour into a lightly oiled 9×9 baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes, until the center no longer wiggles when you move the pan. Transfer to the top rack in the oven and turn the broiler on high. Broil for 5 minutes, watching carefully, until the top is lightly browned. Let cool slightly, then serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Keywords: bacon buffalo chicken casserole

Did you make this recipe?

I'm Chelsea, the author behind Do You Even Paleo! I believe life should be full of flavor. I enjoy creating recipes that are nourishing, flavorful, and satisfying. When not experimenting in the kitchen, I usually have a camera, barbell, or mug of coffee in hand.
My posts may include affiliate links, which means if you click through a purchase something, I make a small commission at no cost to you. It helps me fuel my coffee habit and pay rent!

2 thoughts to “Bacon Buffalo Chicken Casserole (Paleo, Whole30)”

This looks awesome! In step 4 I noticed it mentions adding the ranch but there’s no ranch (I assume dressing?) in the recipe. Can you clarify? I also don’t see where to add some ingredients like apple cider vinegar and frank’s sauce. Thanks!

Lara, I just updated the recipe. Thanks for letting me know! I failed to proofread the recipe before I posted it this time – this oversight serves as a reminder to myself as to why I can’t skip that step! 🙂

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About Me:

Hello! I'm Chelsea, the author, recipe developer, and photographer behind DoYouEvenPaleo. Life should be full of flavor, and I've made it my mission to bring you recipes and lifestyle advice that do just that. I feel best when I follow a Paleo template, so that's what I tend to do (but frankly, I'm not perfect)!
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